Textile manufacture



1941- E. J. ABBOTT v TEXTILE MANUFACTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1940 Jig! 297K177" Nov. 18, 1941. J ABBOTT 2,262,984

TEXT ILE MANUFACTURE Filed Feb. 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 TEXTILE MANUFACTURE Edward .7. Abbott, Wilton, N. 11., assignor to Abbott Machine Company, Wilton, N. H., a corporation oi New Hampshire Application February 17, 1940, Serial No. 319,387

17 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part. of application Serial No. 137,492, filed April 1'7, 1937, for Textile manufacture.

This invention relates to an art and apparatus for preparing textile fibers for spinning or twisting, and'has for one of its principal objects to provide an improved art and apparatus wherein textile sliver is subjected to repeated drawing operations in a continuous manner. In a preferred form the invention provides for gilling a sliver, then subjecting the sliver to a dividing operation, overlapping the successively formed short lengths in parallel relation and then gilling this assemblage of overlapped lengths, repeating this sequence of operations any desired number of times.

- In conventional types of gills, the sliver, in ribbon-like formation, is drawn out a considerable amount, and then, before any further gilling or drawing operation, is gathered together laterally into a narrow strip, usually having a certain twist or false twist, which is then wound into a ball or onto a spool or formed'into a coil in a can.

The present invention aims to improve upon this prior procedure by providing for doiling the gilled ribbon-like sliver from one gill and automatically feeding the same material in ribbonlike form to another gill, so that the operation is continuous.

A further object of the invention is to provide for automatically reversing the direction of the fibers, end-for-end during the course of their transfer from one gilling and drawing operation to the next so that they pass through successive similar treatments in opposite directions.

As applied to the production of worsted yarns, the present invention is adapted to serve as a substitute for one or more carding operations, with a consequent large saving in time and in machinery cost. Moreover there is an improvement in the character of the finally produced sliver. An examination of worsted sliver produced by the present invention shows that it does not contain the knotted type of nib which is produced by a card. Such nibs as are found in the sliver are found to consist of very short fibers rolled into a ball. These are left intact by the gills and are easily combed out by the combing operation.

The invention is moreover applicable to the reduction of textile fibers or filaments of the socalled continuous or endless type, such as natural silk, artificial silks of various kinds, artificial ning according to the usual cotton; woolen or worsted systems. In the application of the invention to this use, the fibers can readily be disposed in parallel relation by passing them through a simple reed or the like, and such'a reed may be substituted for the initial gilling operation which the invention applies to wool fibers.

In relation to the treatment of continuous fibers, the invention aims to provide, an improved method and means for dividing a ribbon-like for-'- mation of the fibers into short lengths and for assembling the short lengths and forming them into a sliver. g

Other advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent from this specification and its drawings wherein the in'vention is explained by way of example.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side view of apparatus for practicing the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively diagrammatic plan and side views of another form of apparatus according to the invention. I I

It will be understood that as appliedto the manufacture of worsted yarn according to this invention the sliver may be subjected successively to for example eight successive gills and be automatically doifed from the various gills and 'automatically delivered to the next succeeding gill. For convenience of illustration, the invention is shown as employing only two gills in succession.

Referring to the drawings, the sliver Smay come to the gilling apparatus from any suitable source of supply, as for example from balls, or as illustrated from a can ll. Entering the first gill, which is indicated generally at l2, the sliver passes through slow-moving rolls l3, I3 and thence into the intersecting fallers l4, M which moveat a slightly greater speed than the rolls l3, l3. The sliver then passes between front rolls l5, l5 which run at about six times the surface speed of the rolls l3, II with the result that the sliver is drawn out into a thin sheet.

An apron it, running in the direction of the arrow 0: and between the front draft rolls l5, l5 at substantially their surface speed, carries the drafted sliver forward to sliver-dividing mechanism. In its preferred form, the sliver-dividing mechanism includes a lower breaker roll I! and an upper breaker roll 20, both rotating continuously at approximately ten times the surface speed of the front draft rolls l5, IS. The lower breaker roll I 9 rotates about a stationary axis,

wool, etc. to staple lengths in readiness for spinand the upper breaker roll 20 is mounted on a frame 2| which is pivotally mounted at 22in such manner that a spring 23 normally holds the roll 20 out of contact with the lower roll l9. While the rolls l9 and 26 are thus separated the drafted sheet of sliver passes without interruption over the smooth surface of roll l9 and thence downwardly onto an inclined plate 25.

Acontinuously' rotating cam 2'! acts on the frame 2| to depress the frame periodically, bringing the roll 26 down so that it presses the sliver against the lower roll l3. These two fast-moving rolls then pull oif a portion of sliver from six to twelve inches long from the forward end of the sliver sheet and then separate, the upper roll 26 rising to its upper position.

Upon the pulling apart of the sheet of sliver,

the plate 25 which is pivoted at 23, is moved in the direction of the arrow 11 by a connecting rod 30 which is operated by an eccentric 3| rotating in synchronism with the cam 21. This swinging of the plate carries the pulled-off portion of sliver over onto an inclined conveyor belt 33 which preferably runs at approximately the surface speed of the rear rolls l3, l3 and which delivers to the similar rear rolls l3, l3 of a second gill |2'. The relatively slow speed of the conveyor belt 33 as compared to the relatively high speed of the sliver as it approaches the dividing rolls I9, 20, .causes the pulled-off pieces to be assembled so as to lie on the belt '33 in overlapped formation and to be fed into the second gill in a plurality of thicknesses, for example six or eight, this overlapping being sufiicient to make the rate of feed of the second gill approximately the same as that of the first gill.

The oscillating plate 25 in addition to assembling the pieces of the sliver on the conveyor 33 also reverses these pieces end-for-end, thus reversing the directions of the fibers as completely as if the product of the first gill had been wound up and then fed from a wound ball or the like to the second gill.

' In the second gill, in which the parts are indicated by the reference numerals applied to the similar parts of the first gill but with the addition of primes, the product of the overlapping and reversing operation is further gilled. and drawn. From this gill, the slive eet may be passed to further sliver-dividing mechanism, further assembling mechanism and further gilling mechanism such as previously described. Since the principle of the repeated gilling, drawing, sliverdividing and assembling operations will be apparent from the illustrated apparatus of Fig. 1,

the sliver S emerging from the second gill is for simplicity of illustration shown as then gathered together by a trumpet guide 31 and wound by means of drive rolls 36, 39 into a suitable package 40.

In the apparatus and process above described.

the fibers of the material S are disposed in ap-' proximately parallel relation in a ribbon-like formation in the first gill l2, and thus arranged are advanced in a path from the gill l2 to the rolls I9, 26. These rolls i9, 23 successively divide the ribbon-like formation into shortapproximately staple lengths which are then caused by the tilting element 25 to overlap on the conveyor 33 lengthwise in their direction of travel while the conveyor continuously advances at 'a slower velocity than that of the undivided ribbon-like formation. By means of the second 8111 these overlapped short lengths are formed into a silver.

In dealing with fibers that are available in contion and in the same plane to form asheet or ribbon-like sliver R. This sheet of parallel closely-adjacent fibers is passed between a pair of rolls 52, 53, the latter roll constituting supporting and driving means for an endless conveyor belt 54 which also passes about a roll 55 spaced from the roll 53. This conveyor belt has an upper substantially horizontal run whichreceives the sheet of fibers delivered from between the rolls 52, 53 which conveys this sheet of fibers to a fixed ledger blade 56 (or chopping block) with which cooperates a vertically reciprocating cutter blade 51. This blade is reciprocated in any suitable m'anner and at such intervals of time with reference to the speed of movement of the rolls 52 and 53 as to chop oif uniform lengths 60 from the advancing end of the sheet, each such length being that of the desired staple. I

Beneath the chopping part 56 is arranged a roller about which passes an endless conveyor belt 6| having an inclined upper run which is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. This belt 6| is driven at a speed slightly less than that of the belt 54, so that as successive cut-off portions of the sheet or ribbon R drop upon its inclined upper run, they will be advanced with such speed as to overlap each other as shown, for example, at 60'- and 66". These overlapping cut-off portions of the ribbon, each consisting of a great number of parallel, closely adjacent and equal lengths of fiber, are advanced by the belt 6| to any suitable device, for'example, to drafting means capable of drafting the fiber and delivering it in the form of ropelike sliver,

but as here shown the device 62 to which the overlapped cut-off portions of ribbon are delivered is a'gill comprising the rear rolls 63 and 64, the forward rolls 65 and 66, and the intervening fal-lers 61. Any suitable draft between the front and rear sets of rolls may be provided, the action of the gill assuring a thorough blending of the successive overlapping portions of the cut-oil ribbon delivered by the belt 6|. After emerging from between the rolls 65 and 66, the blended, overlapping, commingled, but still parallel lengths 'of fiber may be condensed and, after passing between suitable rollers 66, may be coiled in a can 69 or otherwise collected for. further treatment.

In the apparatus just above described, since the fibers across the entire width of the sheet are out along the same transverse line, it is necessary to employ some such arrangement equivalent to the belt 6| to ensure, the proper overlap of fibers necessary to the formation of a continuous sliver.

I claim:

1. Textile apparatus comprising a gilling device, means operating on the product of the said gill to divide it generally transversely, means for turning the divided pieces end-for-end and for assembling them in longitudinally overlapping relation, and a second gilling device arranged to receive the overlapped divided portions.

2. Textile apparatus comprising two gilling devices, means operating continuously during the nuous lengths so that merely by passage through operation of the first gill to divide the gilled prodnet of the first gill generally transversely, and means for feeding to the second gill the said gilled and divided product with the fibers thereof reversed end-for-end from their relative positions in the first gilling device.

3. Process of preparing textile material for spinning or twisting, comprising subjecting the.

material to a series of gilling operations, and between successive gil ng Operations drawing the material out several times in length, dividing the material generally transversely and assembling the divided lengths in longitudinally overlapping relation.

4. Process of preparing textile material for spinning or twisting, comprising subjecting the material to a series of gilling operations, and between successive gilling operations drawing the material out several times in length, dividing the material generally transversely and assembling the divided lengths in longitudinally overlapping relation, the extent of elongation of the material and the extent of overlapping of the material being such that the rate of feed of the material to the successive gilling operations is approximately the same.

5. Process of preparing textile material for spinning or twisting, comprising subjecting the material to a series of gillingoperations, and between successive gilling operations dividing the material generally transversely, turning the divided lengths end-for-end, and assembling the divided lengths in longitudinally overlapping relation.

6. Textile apparatus comprising a gilling device, rolls between which the gilled product passes, said rolls turning at faster speed than the speed of exit of the material from the gilling device and being normally separated sufiiciently so that the material passes between the rolls without being gripped thereby, means for intermittently causing said rolls to approach and grip the material thereby dividing successive lengths from the material leaving the gilling device, means for assembling the divided lengths in longitudinally overlapped relation, and a second gilling device adapted to receive the overlapped lengths.

7. Textile apparatus comprising a gilling device, means for dividing generally transversely the material treated by the gilling device, an element adapted to reecive the divided lengths of material, a conveyor running at a slower velocity than the undivided material coming from the gilling device, means for moving said element intermittently to deposit divided lengths successively on said conveyor, thereby to assemble the divided lengths in longitudinally overlapping relation, and a second gilling device adapted to receive the assembled material from the conveyor.

8. Textile apparatus comprising a gilling device, means for dividing generally transversely the material treated by the gilling device, a tilting element adapted to receive the divided lengths of material, a conveyor, and a second gilling device receiving its supply from the conveyor, and means for operating the tilting element to turn the successive divided lengths of material endfor-end and lay them on the conveyor.

9. In a process of producing sliver, the steps of disposing a plurality of fibers in approximately parallel relation in a ribbon-like formation, advancing the said ribbon-like formation along a predetermined path, successively: dividing the said ribbon-like formation transversely into short lengths, overlapping the successively formed short lengths in parallel relation while continuously advancing the overlapped short lengths at a slower velocity than that of the undivided 11. In a process of producing sliver, the steps I of disposing a plurality of fibers in approximately parallel relation-in a ribbon-like formation, advancing the said ribbon-like formation along a predetermined path, successively dividing the said ribbon-like formation transversely into short lengths, overlapping the successively formed short lengths in parallel relation while continuously advancing the overlapped short lengths, the speed of advance of the overlapped short lengths being sufiiciently slower than that of the undivided ribbon-like formation so that the overlapped formation of short lengths is materially thicker than the undivided ribbon-like formation and forming the overlapped short lengths into a sliver.

' 12. In a process of producing sliver, the steps of disposing a plurality of fibers in approximately parallel relation in a ribbon-like formation, ad-

vancing the said ribbon-like formation along a predetermined path, successively dividing the said ribbon-like formation transversely into short lengths of approximately staple lengths, overlapping the successively formed short lengths in parallel relation while continuously advancing the overlapped short lengths at a slower velocity than that of the undivided ribbon-like formation and forming the overlapped short lengths into a sliver.

13. Apparatus for producing sliver comprising means for disposing a plurality of fibers in substantially parallel relation and in substantiaL ly the same plane in a ribbon-likeformation, means for advancing the said ribbon-like formation along a predetermined path, means for successively dividing the ribbon-like formation transversely into short lengths, conveyor means adapted to support and continuously advance the short lengths resulting from each successive operation of the dividing means, said conveyor means moving at a slower speed than the said ribbon-like formation whereby the successively produced short lengths overlap in the direction of their travel on the conveyor means, and means operative to receive the overlapped lengths and to form them into a sliver.

14. Apparatus for producing sliver comprising means for disposing a plurality of fibers in substantially parallel relation and in substantially the same plane in a ribbon-like formation, means for advancing the said ribbon-like formation along a predetermined path, means for successively dividing the ribbon-like formation transversely into short lengths of approximately staple lengths, conveyor means adapted to support and continuously advance the short lengths resulting from each successive operation of the dividing means, said conveyor means moving at a slower speed than the said ribbon-like formation whereby the successively produced short fiber of the continuous t V 1 rality of said fibers in su tantially parallel re- 3 lengths overlapin the direction of their travel i on the conveyor means,'and means operative to receive the overlapped lengths and form them 1 into a sliver.

15. In the process of producing spun yarn from disposing a plulation to form a ribbon-like sliver, advancing the sliver along a predetermined path, severing the sliver by a transverse incision thereby to cut oil! short lengths'from the advancing ends of each fiber, advancing said severed lengths continuously while maintaining their parallel relation but at a slower velocity than that of the unsevered sliver, thus to cause the advancing end of the from fibers of the continuous type comprising means for disposing a plurality of said fibers in substantially parallel relation and in substantially the same plane to form a ribbon-like sliver, means for advancing the silver along a predetermined path, a cutter having its edge disposed transversely across the path of the sliver and normally supporting the sliver, said cutter being operative to cut oil in succession short lengths from the advancing end of each fiber, conveyor means operative to support and'advance the short lengths resulting from each successive operation ofthe cutter, said conveyor means moving at a less speed than the advancing end of the sliver whereby said advancing end overtakes and overlaps each successive set of cuttings, and means operative to receive the overlapped sets of cuttings and to condense them to form a continuous sliver.

17. Apparatus for use in producing spun yarn from fibers of the cont ous type comprising means for disposing a pluralityiof-said fibers in substantially parallel relation and in substantially the same plane to form a ribbon-dike sliver,

- means for advancing the sliver along a predetermined path, a reciprocatory c'utterhaving its edge disposed transversely across the path of the end of thersliver, gi ling means operative to receive the overlapped sets of cuttings from the conveying means, and means operativeto receive the material from the gilling meanand to condense it into a continuous sliver. ,7

' EDWARD JABBOTT. 

